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BY CHINONSO IHEKIRE
Nigerian singer, Efemena Mukoro better known as Blackmagic is back with a new album titled ‘Version 3.0’
Coming after a five-year no-album hiatus, the new body of work was recently released independently under his Based on Belief Entertainment.
Following his swift rise to stardom locally, one thing has stood out for Blackmagic; his refinement of sound. Easily perceived as one of the pioneers of the growing afro-fusion sound movement in Nigeria, or what is popularly mislabelled as ‘Alternative.’ His sound has always titled to an elegant cocktail of fast-paced rhythmic afro-pop, rhythm and blues and afro-beat.
Blackmagic’s previous projects ingrained the singer’s musical success in the Nigerian industry: Version 1.0 (2011), Version 2.0 (2013) and Black Friday (2015), with hits such as the afro-pop/r n b melange Repete, the Oritsefemi-assisted smash rap/pop single, Pass you by, the electrifying love melody, Wonder, and many others. It has been a romantic musical adventure between the creative musician and his teeming audience. And in many ways, Version 3.0 solidifies that.
Having been missing-in-action for four years – except momentary recent single releases such as No Need (2018), Anything for love (2019) – the latest 12-track album feels like a portrait of a fabled phoenix rising from her ashes.It is a delicious and soul gratifying 51-minutes of sound engineering from industry heavyweights likes Xela, Spax, Ikon and Bond, who craftily harmonise hip-hop drums with African guitar melodies, soft piano riffs and other sounds, to create sweet ‘milk-like’ sounds. Interestingly, as typical of Blackmagic, the project features only two collaborations from Afro-fusion singer, Tems and rapper Big Bad.
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